Americans United - Donald J. Trumphttps://au.org/tags/donald-j-trump
enAmericans United And Allies Seek Preliminary Injunction To Prevent Muslim Ban 3.0 From Going Into Effecthttps://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-and-allies-seek-preliminary-injunction-to-prevent-muslim-ban
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Washington DC – Today, the plaintiffs in <em>Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) v. Trump </em>filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block President Donald Trump from fully implementing his latest attempt to ban nationals from several predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.</p>
<p><em>IAAB v. Trump</em>, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, is the first major lawsuit brought against President Trump’s Muslim Ban 3.0. The plaintiffs in this action are Iranian Alliances Across Borders, an Iranian-American diaspora community organization, and six individual plaintiffs, all of whom are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents with Iranian relatives or spouses who will be blocked from coming to the United States. Today’s filing argues that Muslim Ban 3.0 violates the U.S. Constitution and other federal laws and that the plaintiffs will be irreparably harmed if the policy goes into full effect on Oct. 18. </p>
<p>The plaintiffs in <em>IAAB v. Trump</em> are represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Muslim Advocates and Covington &amp; Burling LLP, in consultation with the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). The plaintiffs in <em>IAAB v. Trump</em> are joined in their preliminary injunction motion by the plaintiffs in<em> International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) v. Trump</em>, which is pending before the same judge.</p>
<ul><li>Click <a href="http://au.org/files/IAABvTrumpComplaint.pdf">here</a> to read the complaint in <em>IAAB v. Trump</em>.</li>
<li>Click <a href="http://au.org/files/PIMotionandSupportingBriefIAABvTrump.pdf">here</a> to read the motion for a preliminary injunction and supporting brief.</li>
<li>Click <a href="http://au.org/files/IAAB%20plaintiffs.pdf">here</a> to read about several of the plaintiffs.</li>
</ul><p><strong>According to Richard B. Katskee, legal director of Americans United: </strong>“The eyes of history never look kindly on those who choose to side with discrimination. Religious freedom is about fairness. Trump’s Muslim Ban 3.0, just like the previous versions, is both unfair and rooted in discrimination. It subjects people to ill treatment and second-class status simply because of their religious tradition. That’s profoundly un-American, and we’re determined to see that this ban never takes effect.”</p>
<p><strong>According to Johnathan Smith, legal director of Muslim Advocates</strong>: "President Trump’s newest efforts to ban Muslims from entering the United States are unconstitutional and contravenes fundamental American values. Today’s filing will hopefully ensure that this bigoted and discriminatory policy never goes into full effect.”</p>
<p><strong>According to Mana Kharrazi, executive director of Iranian Alliances Across Borders: </strong>“It is paramount that we stop the latest ban from taking effect. Graduations, weddings, births - virtually every significant moment for our families will be lost because of this ban. This administration attempts to strip us of our humanity and force us to be invisible, only to be acknowledged as part of a ploy pretending we have anything to do with national security. We refuse to be the last of our communities and to force our youth to endure growing up in a country that denies their identities and right to exist. If we do not stop this ban, we allow our families and our youth to become collateral. Previous attempts to ban our communities have already emboldened hate and violence. What then will become of us and the future of our country if this ban actually becomes law?”</p>
<p><strong>According to Shayan Modarres, legal counsel for the National Iranian American Council: </strong>“The latest travel ban targeting Iranians and Muslims is not a product of a political conflict between countries, or justified by any credible national security concerns. This ban affects real people and completely disrupts real lives. It robs families of moments they can never get back. Today, we are asking the court to block this unconstitutional ban from impacting these American families and treating them like second class citizens under the law.”</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Institutional Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (Including Immigration, Military, Prisons &amp; Healthcare)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/muslim-ban">Muslim Ban</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/iranian-alliances-across-borders-v-trump">Iranian Alliances Across Borders v. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/iaab">IAAB</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-j-trump">Donald J. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/maryland">Maryland</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/muslim-advocates">Muslim Advocates</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/international-refugee-assistance-project-v-trump">International Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/irap">IRAP</a></span></div></div>Fri, 06 Oct 2017 19:15:39 +0000Liz Hayes13278 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-and-allies-seek-preliminary-injunction-to-prevent-muslim-ban#commentsWith New Birth Control Rule, Trump Administration Ramps Up Attack On Women’s Health Carehttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/with-new-birth-control-rule-trump-administration-ramps-up-attack-on-women-s
<a href="/about/people/ms-dena-sher">Dena Sher</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Ask women about birth control, and they’ll tell you they use it to protect their health and to plan their families. They are also likely to explain that it allows them to participate in the workforce and pursue their education. In other words, it’s critical to their health and equality.</p>
<p>New regulations issued by the Trump administration today, however, could threaten all of that. Under the regulations, bosses and universities can use religion as an excuse to deny their staff and students health insurance coverage for birth control.</p>
<p>Religious freedom is about fairness. It means we don’t treat people differently because their beliefs are different from ours. It isn’t fair to deny women access to vital health care – a benefit guaranteed by law. Stripping insurance coverage for birth control is nothing more than discrimination.</p>
<p>The Affordable Care Act (ACA) ensures that women have access to affordable and effective contraception, a huge advance for women’s health. The ACA’s requirement that most health insurance plans cover birth control, however, doesn’t apply to everyone: Churches and other houses of worship were always exempt from it. In addition, nonprofits, certain corporations, and universities that have religious objections could refuse to cover birth control in their employees’ and students’ health insurance plans if they objected in writing. Under what was called an “accommodation,” the government would then arrange for a third party to pay for and provide the coverage instead.</p>
<p>Remarkably, many entities have challenged this opt-out in court, insisting that the mere act of requesting it violates their religious freedom. But Americans United has been <a href="http://www.protectthyneighbor.org/contraception-coverage-litigation-involving-religious-non-profit-organizations">fighting back</a>. We represent students in one of the cases, brought by <a href="http://au.org/our-work/legal/lawsuits/university-of-notre-dame-v-burwell" target="_blank">the University of Notre Dame</a>. This is the only case in which women whose coverage is at risk are directly involved.</p>
<p>But today, in a move to please the religious fundamentalist leaders who remain the most vocal segment of Trump’s shrinking base, the administration will allow discrimination against women under the guise of religious freedom. The new regulation allows any for-profit corporation, university or nonprofit institution to cite religion to deny insurance coverage for contraception to its employees and students. In addition to attacking women’s health care, the administration has promised even more policies like this. LGBTQ people, women, religious minorities, nontheists and almost everyone else will face harm – all to appease these fundamentalist leaders.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/Women%20Angry.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 534px;" /></p>
<p><em>Decisions about women’s health care should be left to women – not their employers or universities. </em></p>
<p>Religious freedom is a fundamental American value. So is the right to make decisions for yourself about your own health care. The Trump administration’s proposed rule, however, betrays both. Employers and universities should not be able to use religion as an excuse to dictate their employees’ or students’ health care choices.</p>
<p>Decisions about women’s health care should be left to women – not their employers or universities. Discrimination disguised as “religious freedom” is still discrimination.</p>
<p>Without coverage, countless women will lose access to basic, critical health care because many of the most effective methods of contraception have expensive up-front costs. For example, women who don’t have insurance coverage may have to pay <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/iud/how-can-i-get-an-iud">up to $1,000</a> for an IUD. For students or women who are living on minimum wage, losing coverage for birth control means that they probably won’t be able to afford it anymore.</p>
<p>We’re not going to let the Trump administration trample on religious freedom and women’s freedom to make their own health care choices. We have already <a href="http://www.protectthyneighbor.org/posts/2017/6/12/au-tells-federal-court-trumps-leaked-contraception-rule-would-harm-women">told a court</a> that the <a href="http://www.protectthyneighbor.org/posts/2017/6/1/the-trump-administration-plans-to-issue-rules-that-would-amount-to-an-unfettered-license-to-deny-women-access-to-contraception">leaked draft</a> of these regulations (which wasn’t really different from today’s final version) would harm the University of Notre Dame students we represent. And <a href="https://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-will-sue-trump-administration-over-new-birth-control">we will continue to fight in court</a> to make sure these students and all women have affordable, seamless access to contraception. Religious freedom and women’s health and equality are at stake.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice">Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice in the Workplace</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-refusals-and-rfra">Religious Refusals and RFRA</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/birth-control">birth control</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/contraceptives">contraceptives</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/womens-health">women&#039;s health</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-j-trump">Donald J. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/affordable-care-act-aca">Affordable Care Act (ACA)</a></span></div></div>Fri, 06 Oct 2017 16:21:56 +0000Liz Hayes13274 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/with-new-birth-control-rule-trump-administration-ramps-up-attack-on-women-s#commentsAmericans United Will Sue Trump Administration Over New Birth Control Regulationshttps://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-will-sue-trump-administration-over-new-birth-control
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced plans today to sue the Trump administration to block new regulations that let employers and universities use religion as an excuse to refuse to cover birth control on their employees’ and students’ health insurance plans. An earlier version of the rule was leaked to the media in May but the proposed regulations were formally issued today.</p>
<p>“Religious freedom is about fairness – it does not give anyone the right to deny women access to birth control. The Trump administration’s regulations violate the First Amendment and are a huge step backward for women’s health and equality,” said Maggie Garrett, Americans United’s legislative director.</p>
<p>“Religion is no excuse for employers or universities to dictate their employees’ or students’ health care choices,” added Richard B. Katskee, Americans United’s legal director. “Taking away access to contraception – a core part of women’s health care – is discrimination, plain and simple.”</p>
<p>“The Trump administration is carrying out the agenda of religious fundamentalists, the biggest part of the president’s remaining devoted supporters,” said Garrett. “The rights of LGBTQ people, women, religious minorities, nontheists and others hang in the balance as the Trump administration continues to toe the line for its fundamentalist base.”</p>
<p>Americans United has already been fighting in court to ensure that religion isn’t used as an excuse to deny access to birth control. In one case, <a href="http://au.org/our-work/legal/lawsuits/university-of-notre-dame-v-burwell"><em>University of Notre Dame v. Price</em></a>, Americans United represents students who would lose their insurance coverage for contraception under the new regulations.</p>
<p>“Religious freedom is a fundamental right. So is the right to make your own decisions about health care. Trump’s new regulations betray both. We’ll fight the president’s efforts in court,” said Katskee.</p>
<p>AU will go to court to directly challenge the Trump administration’s regulations so that these students and other women like them don’t lose access to critical health care. Americans United also plans to file comments on the regulations.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice">Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice in the Workplace</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-refusals-and-rfra">Religious Refusals and RFRA</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/birth-control">birth control</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/contraceptives">contraceptives</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/womens-health">women&#039;s health</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-j-trump">Donald J. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/university-of-notre-dame-v-price">University of Notre Dame v. Price</a></span></div></div><h3 >Religious Freedom Advocate Says Decisions About Women’s Health Care Should Be Made By Women – Not By Their Employer’s Or University’s Religious&nbsp;Beliefs</h3>Fri, 06 Oct 2017 15:55:08 +0000Liz Hayes13273 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-will-sue-trump-administration-over-new-birth-control#commentsIt’s Your Turn To Tell Congress To Support The Johnson Amendmenthttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/it-s-your-turn-to-tell-congress-to-support-the-johnson-amendment
<a href="/about/people/liz-hayes">Liz Hayes</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Last week, more than <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/more-than-4000-faith-leaders-send-a-message-to-congress-protect-the-johnson">4,000 faith leaders</a> nationwide did their part to urge Congress not to weaken or repeal the Johnson Amendment, the federal law that protects the integrity of nonprofit organizations – including houses of worship – by ensuring they do not endorse or oppose political candidates.</p>
<p>Now it’s your turn.</p>
<p>With members of Congress on their August recess, they’re in their home districts right now and available to meet with constituents before they head back to Washington, D.C., after Labor Day. It’s a perfect time for you to stop by and provide them with information that explains how the Johnson Amendment protects nonprofits, houses of worship, taxpayers and our elections.</p>
<p>You can explain that the Johnson Amendment keeps charities and churches from being used as political tools. That the law protects taxpayers, who should not be forced to subsidize the partisan election activities of these organizations. That weakening the law would allow the political divide in our communities to grow and hinder the ability of nonprofits to work for the common good.</p>
<p>You can also remind lawmakers that the Johnson Amendment has broad public support – from the <a href="http://independentsector.org/resource/poll-americans-support-keeping-amendment/">majority of voters</a> (including Republicans), from the <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/568e979c40667a5cc6a4eaf1/t/59667650c534a57b1fe12f48/1499887184889/PRRI+poll.pdf">majority of religious groups</a> (including white evangelicals) and among a diverse <a href="https://www.faith-voices.org/">network of faith leaders</a> (including <a href="https://www.nae.net/pastors-shouldnt-endorse-politicians/">evangelical clergy</a>). You can remind them that more than 4,500 nonprofits (including AU) <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/568e979c40667a5cc6a4eaf1/t/58e4fc52d1758e764c279aaa/1491401812846/community-letter-in-support-of-nonpartisanship.pdf">sent them a letter</a> in support of the Johnson Amendment. So did <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/568e979c40667a5cc6a4eaf1/t/590cf1c4893fc0f07b5f1b4d/1494020548869/Faith%2BOrganization%2BLetter%2BOpposing%2BPoliticization%2Bof%2BHOW-%2BFINAL.pdf">99 religious and denominational groups</a>.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/Faith%20Leaders%20Sen.%20Coons%20Johnson%20Amendment.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 453px;" /></p>
<p><em>Faith leaders delivered letters to members of Congress in support of the Johnson Amendment. Now it's your turn.</em></p>
<p>Adding your voice to the chorus of Johnson Amendment supporters is important now more than ever because President Donald Trump has <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-trump-administration-had-a-busy-week-of-cozying-up-to-religious-right">repeatedly</a> <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/trump-vows-to-destroy-law-banning-church-politicking-at-national-prayer">vowed</a> to “get rid of” the Johnson Amendment. And he’s joined by a small but vocal group of lawmakers and far-right religious leaders seeking to use churches as tools to boost their own political power.</p>
<p>Just last month, the House Appropriations Committee approved the House Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/legislation-and-executive-orders">bill that would cripple</a> the IRS’ ability to enforce the Johnson Amendment. The spending bill next goes to the House floor. That’s why it’s crucial that members of Congress hear from you now.</p>
<p>This week and next, AU supporters are organizing <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/educate-your-members-of-congress">Hometown Congressional Visits</a> – meetings you and like-minded folks in your community set up with your members of Congress to educate them about the Johnson Amendment. We’ve created a <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/568e979c40667a5cc6a4eaf1/t/597658dc29687fb94f68eca2/1500928221417/JA_HometownVisits.pdf">toolkit</a> with all the information you need to plan a visit with your representative and senators. If you’re unable to schedule a meeting, consider stopping by their offices and offering the staff some printed information about the Johnson Amendment, which you can find <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/resources/#resources-list">here</a>.</p>
<p>If you are able to visit a congressional office, please let us know how it went by contacting Bill Mefford in our Field Department at <a href="mailto:mefford@au.org">mefford@au.org</a>. Feel free to take a selfie outside the office and send it to Bill – we would love to share it with others to show the grass-roots support for the Johnson Amendment.</p>
<p>Other actions you can take include: <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/petition">Signing a petition</a> urging Congress to protect the Johnson Amendment; <a href="https://www.faith-voices.org/">encouraging faith leaders</a> you know to voice their support for the law; <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/write-lte">writing a letter to the editor</a> to make sure your community knows about the Johnson Amendment’s important protections; and <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/talking-points">sharing this information</a> with your friends and family and encourage them to take action.</p>
<p>For more than 60 years, the Johnson Amendment has played a vital role in the America’s fundamental promise of church-state separation. Please help us to prevent Trump and Congress from destroying it. You can learn more at our <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/">Project Fair Play</a> campaign.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-groups-involvement-in-candidate-elections">Religious Groups’ Involvement in Candidate Elections</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/johnson-amendment">Johnson Amendment</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/project-fair-play">Project Fair Play</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pulpit-politicking">Pulpit Politicking</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-congress">U.S. Congress</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/faith-voices">Faith Voices</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/financial-services-and-general-government-fsgg-appropriations-bill">Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations bill</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/hometown-congressional-visit">Hometown Congressional Visit</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-j-trump">Donald J. Trump</a></span></div></div>Wed, 23 Aug 2017 13:36:16 +0000Liz Hayes13135 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/it-s-your-turn-to-tell-congress-to-support-the-johnson-amendment#commentsDonald Trump And Roy Moore Launch A New Raft Of Spurious, Anti-Muslim Claimshttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/donald-trump-and-roy-moore-launch-a-new-raft-of-spurious-anti-muslim-claims
<a href="/about/people/liz-hayes">Liz Hayes</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>It’s been a week of pants-on-fire-level, anti-Muslim rhetoric: Days after a U.S. Senate candidate made ridiculous claims about Sharia law being implemented in the American heartland, President Donald J. Trump recirculated a widely discredited trope about brutal war-time treatment of Muslims.</p>
<p>Both claims earned the top “Pants on Fire” rating from the fact-checking website <a href="http://www.politifact.com/">PolitiFact</a>. And both claims only served to stoke anti-Muslim sentiment as the country is still reeling from the hate-filled events in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend.</p>
<p>On Thursday, in the wake of terrorist attacks in Spain, Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/898254409511129088">tweeted</a>: “Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught. There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!”</p>
<p>Trump apparently was repeating the myth that U.S. Army Gen. John Joseph “Black Jack” Pershing dipped bullets in pig blood and fatally shot Filipino insurgents who were Muslim during the Philippine-American War a century ago. Since many Muslims avoid pigs and pork, they supposedly would be so horrified at the idea of dying this way that it would keep radicals in line.</p>
<p>But as <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/aug/17/donald-trump/donald-trump-retells-pants-fire-claim-about-gen-pe/">PolitiFact</a> and any number of other sources will tell you, there’s no truth to the tale. Trump should know that because this urban legend <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/02/20/trumps-story-about-killing-terrorists-with-bullets-dipped-in-pigs-blood-is-likely-not-true/?tid=a_inl&amp;utm_term=.7c2c5bfde595">was debunked</a> more than a year ago after Trump proffered it while on the campaign trail.</p>
<p>AU on Thursday <a href="https://twitter.com/americansunited/status/898288777776566272">condemned</a> Trump’s statement as a reprehensible encouragement of bias toward Muslims. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, back in <a href="https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/13390-cair-says-trump-s-pig-s-blood-remarks-endanger-u-s-muslims.html">February 2016</a> after Trump’s first known use of the Pershing story, said: “Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric has crossed the line from spreading hatred to inciting violence. By directly stating that the only way to stop terrorism is to murder Muslims in graphic and religiously-offensive ways, he places the millions of innocent, law-abiding citizens in the American Muslim community at risk from rogue vigilantes.”</p>
<p>Is it any wonder that three-quarters of American Muslims <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/american-muslims-are-worried-about-trump-but-they-still-believe-in-the">surveyed</a> recently by the Pew Research Center said Trump is seen as unfriendly toward Muslims? I suspect those respondents would have a similar reaction to former Alabama Supreme Court justice Roy Moore, who also made a spurious, anti-Muslim claim this week.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/TrumpCharlottesville.png" style="width: 800px; height: 887px;" /></p>
<p><em>President Trump continued to fan the flames of anti-Muslim sentiment this week.</em></p>
<p>Monday, on the eve of becoming the <a href="http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2017/08/whats_next_in_alabamas_senate.html">top Republican vote-getter</a> in Alabama’s special primary election to fill U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ vacated U.S. Senate seat, Moore made a ridiculous claim that Sharia law is usurping secular laws in the United States.</p>
<p>“There are communities under Sharia law right now in our country. Up in Illinois,” <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/15/16151182/alabama-senate-roy-moore">Moore told reporter Jeff Stein</a> from the news website Vox.</p>
<p>Stein was understandably skeptical and pressed for more information, but Moore didn’t have any specifics: “Well, there’s Sharia law, as I understand it, in Illinois, Indiana – up there. I don’t know.”</p>
<p>When Stein replied, “That seems like an amazing claim for a Senate candidate to make,” Moore responded, “Well, let me just put it this way – if they are, they are; if they’re not, they’re not.” (Oh, well that explains it, then.)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/aug/16/roy-moore/alabamas-roy-moore-says-whole-communities-midwest-/">PolitiFact</a> talked to a bunch of experts on the matter – the Illinois attorney general’s office, professors from three universities and the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism. All said Sharia law has not been established anywhere “up there.” PolitiFact was blunt: “We found zero evidence of it.”</p>
<p>In these days of alternative facts and our president regularly <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/890260758050856961">tweeting</a> outlandish things, it might be tempting to brush off Trump’s and Moore’s obviously inaccurate claims. But the problem is that some will take these comments seriously and fan the flames of anti-Muslim sentiment.</p>
<p>As Americans United has <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/anti-sharia-bills-another-harmful-consequence-of-anti-muslim-sentiment">repeatedly expressed</a> when state lawmakers consider bills to ban Sharia law, there is no actual risk that Sharia or any religion-based law would replace American secular law. The U.S. Constitution prevents any religion from taking precedence in our courts or in our government. (Ironically, many of those who scream most loudly about Sharia law are far-right fundamentalist Christians who are trying to merge their religion with government!)</p>
<p>AU wrote to lawmakers in several states this year, including <a href="http://au.org/files/2017-3-20%20AR%20HB%201041%20Sharia%20Law%20Senate.pdf">Arkansas</a>, Iowa, <a href="http://au.org/files/2017-03-28%20MT%20SB%2097%20Sharia%20Law%20Veto.pdf">Montana</a> and Texas, explaining that the anti-Sharia proposals are unnecessary and potentially dangerous. A variety of groups, from the <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/directories/policy/2011_am_113a.authcheckdam.pdf">American Bar Association</a> to the <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/08/08/anti-sharia-law-bills-united-states">Southern Poverty Law Center</a> (SPLC), also have denounced these anti-Sharia bills.</p>
<p>The fake news of Sharia law gaining a foothold in the U.S. feeds into the false narrative of all Muslims as a dangerous, organized group of extremists plotting to take over America. Meanwhile, as the white supremacists who chanted racial and other slurs while inciting violence in Charlottesville over the weekend aptly demonstrated, there are much more immediate, realistic threats to American freedoms.</p>
<p>But organizations like ACT for America – considered by the Southern Poverty Law Center to be a <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/act-america">hate group</a> – continue to use the threat of Sharia law to organize anti-Muslim, anti-immigration <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/06/10/live-blog-act-americas-march-against-sharia-rallies">marches</a> that draw support from the same racist ilk that rioted in Charlottesville.</p>
<p>With hate crimes against Muslims already <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/islamophobia-america-rise-hate-crimes-against-muslims-proves-what-politicians-640184">on the rise</a>, it is irresponsible for anyone – let alone the president or someone seeking office in the Senate – to make illogical, blatantly false claims about Muslims. Public officials are supposed to unite, not divide, our people.</p>
<p>Americans United will continue to advocate for religious freedom for everyone, including Muslims. In addition to educating lawmakers that anti-Sharia bills are a solution in search of a problem, we also are fighting Trump’s unconstitutional <a href="http://au.org/content/au-fights-trumps-muslim-ban-in-court">Muslim ban</a> in court and standing with our allies to show support for the Muslim community.</p>
<p>You can help. Earlier this year, we teamed up with Kristin Garrity Şekerci from Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative to <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/standing-with-our-muslim-neighbors-how-you-can-be-an-ally">present resources</a> on how non-Muslims can learn more about Islam and how to be allies to our Muslim neighbors. And you can <a href="http://au.org/get-involved/updates">sign up</a> for our emails and stay tuned to <a href="http://au.org/">au.org</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/americansunited/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/americansunited">Twitter</a> for updates on other ways you can help.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Institutional Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (Including Immigration, Military, Prisons &amp; Healthcare)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/responding-common-attacks-church-state-separation">Responding to Common Attacks on Church-State Separation</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/anti-muslim-sentiment">anti-Muslim sentiment</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/muslim-ban">Muslim Ban</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-j-trump">Donald J. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/roy-moore">Roy Moore</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/alabama">Alabama</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/anti-sharia-laws">anti-Sharia laws</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/bridge-initiative">Bridge Initiative</a></span></div></div>Fri, 18 Aug 2017 14:00:17 +0000Liz Hayes13132 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/donald-trump-and-roy-moore-launch-a-new-raft-of-spurious-anti-muslim-claims#commentsIn A Rant To The Boy Scouts, Trump Starts Beating The ‘War On Christmas’ Drum Early https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/in-a-rant-to-the-boy-scouts-trump-starts-beating-the-war-on-christmas-drum
<a href="/about/people/rokia-hassanein">Rokia Hassanein</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The hot, humid days of late July are apparently not too early to spout bogus “War on Christmas” rhetoric. And President Donald J. Trump settled on an unusual venue to kick things off: a Boy Scout Jamboree.</p>
<p>You’ve probably read about Trump’s bizarre speech; social media has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/trumps-speech-to-boy-scouts-irks-some-in-nonpartisan-organization/2017/07/25/7a084944-715e-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html?utm_term=.db49b8a2bf7e">been aflame</a> over it. Addressing a crowd of approximately 40,000 Scouts and leaders on Monday in West Virginia, Trump careened wildly, offering a mélange that was part partisan screed and part, well, you tell me. (The <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/07/25/what_was_that_sex_yacht_story_trump_told_the_boy_scouts.html">yacht story</a> is still freaking people out.) The rant was completely inappropriate, given the Scouts’ young age and the religious diversity of the organization.</p>
<p><a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/07/inappropriate-moments-trump-boy-scout-speech.html">One of the things Trump</a> touted was the myth that under his watch, the phrase “Merry Christmas” has been saved. (Most presidents who address the Scouts talk about American values and how much fun hiking is. Trump decided to hone in on a Religious Right pet issue.)</p>
<p>“In the Scout Oath, you pledge on your honor to do your best and to do your duty to God and your country,” he said. “And by the way, under the Trump administration, you’ll be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again when you go shopping. Believe me. Merry Christmas. They’ve been downplaying that little, beautiful phrase. You’re going to be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again, folks.”</p>
<p><a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/tis-the-season-for-the-war-on-christmas-hysteria">As I have noted before</a>, the “War on Christmas” is really just a lot of carping from zealots who like to complain about how oppressed they are because some people prefer to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” To the Religious Right, any attempt to be inclusive means you’re trying to secularize Christmas, which is, as any reasonable person would observe, is not true.</p>
<p>Trump’s comments were extremely inappropriate for a nonpartisan youth event. Although Boy Scouts are supposed to be “reverent,” and belief in God is required for membership, the Scouts are not a Christian organization. I’m sure some were offended by Trump’s exclusive stance on holiday greetings. </p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/trumpscouts.png" style="width: 800px; height: 446px;" /></p>
<p><em>Despite what Trump says, the 'War on Christmas' doesn't exist. </em></p>
<p>More to the point, Trump’s declaration doesn’t change the fact that no government official has the power to enforce a specific way to celebrate Christmas – or whether people celebrate it at all. Americans can say “Merry Christmas” or not – it’s up to them.</p>
<p>In fact, polls show that most Americans agree with us that the “War on Christmas” is non-existent and don’t identify with Trump’s attempts to validate the fake hysteria. <a href="http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2016/12/2016-made-us-lose-our-belief-in-santa.html">A 2016 Public Policy Polling (PPP) poll revealed</a> that 46 percent of Americans “don’t care” about this holiday greetings debate, while 45 percent prefer to say “Merry Christmas” but don’t care enough to be offended. Only 13 percent of the people polled said they get offended by “Happy Holidays”; 80 percent of Americans are not offended by either holiday greeting.</p>
<p>Despite the lack of public support, Trump has been pushing his “Merry Christmas” line early this year. Appearing on TV preacher Pat Robertson’s “The 700 Club” on July 13, Trump said, “We have to bring our country back,” adding that a part of his plan for that was to bring “back” a phrase that was never banned in the first place.</p>
<p>“Our country was going in the wrong direction. You couldn’t build. You couldn’t do anything. Our country was going in the wrong direction,” Trump told Robertson. “What they were doing to religious liberty – they were destroying religious liberty. You will be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again very soon.”</p>
<p>This issue is no minor point. The Trump administration’s relentless attacks on religious freedom – his Muslim ban, the drive to repeal or weaken the Johnson Amendment that bars church-based partisan politicking, schemes to use religion as an excuse to limit women’s healthcare, his assault on public education and advocacy of vouchers, etc. – show a mindset that is disturbingly oriented toward force and compulsion in matter of religion.</p>
<p>That’s a lousy gift – at any time of year. </p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/responding-common-attacks-church-state-separation">Responding to Common Attacks on Church-State Separation</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-j-trump">Donald J. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/boy-scouts">Boy Scouts</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/war-christmas">war on christmas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/holiday-greetings">Holiday Greetings</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/trump-administration">Trump Administration</a></span></div></div>Wed, 26 Jul 2017 14:44:32 +0000Rokia Hassanein13105 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/in-a-rant-to-the-boy-scouts-trump-starts-beating-the-war-on-christmas-drum#commentsAdvocates Urge Trump Administration To Provide Information Regarding Extreme Vetting Processes And Possible Muslim Ban Expansionhttps://au.org/media/press-releases/advocates-urge-trump-administration-to-provide-information-regarding-extreme
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Today, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Muslim Advocates, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Brennan Center for Justice and Professor Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia <a href="http://au.org/files/Muslim%20Ban%20FOIA%20Letter%20on%20Extreme%20Vetting%207.20.17.pdf">sent a Freedom of Information Act request</a> to the Trump administration seeking the release of detailed information regarding several important but overlooked provisions of the Muslim ban Executive Order: “extreme vetting” policies targeting certain visa applicants and a worldwide review of visa vetting and screening processes to identify additional countries to add to the list of targeted countries.</p>
<p>Extreme vetting measures have already been put in place in consulates and embassies around the world, and evidence suggests these measures are making it harder for Muslims to travel to the United States. The request comes in light of the requesting organizations’ concerns that the administration is using the “‘extreme vetting’ regime as a means of implementing a Muslim ban away from the spotlight of court cases and media coverage.”</p>
<p>The worldwide review, conducted by the Departments of State and Homeland Security as mandated by the executive order, will be used to determine whether the current Muslim ban should be extended indefinitely and whether countries should be added or removed from the banned list. The requesting groups are concerned that, through the worldwide review, “a more permanent Muslim ban is underway without the requisite level of transparency and scrutiny.”</p>
<p>The organizations have requested information to make clear how these processes are being implemented and will release the information to the public after the agencies respond.</p>
<p>The groups and Wadhia are represented by the law firm of Covington &amp; Burling LLP.</p>
<p><em>Muslim Advocates is a national legal advocacy and educational organization that works on the frontlines of civil rights to guarantee freedom and justice for Americans of all faiths.</em></p>
<p><em>The Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Alabama with offices in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, is a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. For more information, see </em><a href="http://www.splcenter.org/"><em>www.splcenter.org</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<p><em>The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice.</em></p>
<p><em>Professor Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia is Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar, Clinical Professor of Law, and Director, Center for Immigrants’ Rights at Pennsylvania State Law School. Her affiliation is listed for identification purposes only. </em></p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Institutional Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (Including Immigration, Military, Prisons &amp; Healthcare)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/muslim-ban">Muslim Ban</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-j-trump">Donald J. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/freedom-of-information-act-foia">Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/extreme-vetting">extreme vetting</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/executive-order">executive order</a></span></div></div>Thu, 20 Jul 2017 19:50:55 +0000Liz Hayes13098 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/media/press-releases/advocates-urge-trump-administration-to-provide-information-regarding-extreme#commentsThe U.S. Supreme Court Has Rejected Trump’s Cruel ‘Grandma Ban,’ But Refugees Remain In Limbohttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-us-supreme-court-has-rejected-trump-s-cruel-grandma-ban-but-refugees
<a href="/about/people/liz-hayes">Liz Hayes</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The U.S. Supreme Court offered a mixed bag of good and bad news Wednesday on President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban.</p>
<p>The good news: The high court <a href="http://au.org/files/SCOTUS%20Grandma%20Ban%20Order%207.19.17.pdf">left in place</a> a federal court’s decision last week that the U.S. must grant entry to grandparents and other extended family members from the six Muslim-majority countries targeted in Trump’s ban. That lifts the so-called “grandma ban” and will prevent the cruel separation of many Muslim families.</p>
<p>The bad news: The high court suspended the lower court’s determination that an estimated 24,000 refugees who are already working with U.S.-based resettlement agencies should be allowed to enter the country.</p>
<p>While this is a blow for the thousands of people trying to escape war-torn regions around the world, it is not the final word on the matter. Rather, the Supreme Court is letting the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals – a court that has already twice blocked implementation of Trump’s Muslim ban – hear arguments on whether these refugees must be allowed in. The Supreme Court action yesterday means these refugees – unlike grandparents and other family members – continue to be banned pending the 9th Circuit’s ruling.</p>
<p>Americans United has been fighting the Muslim ban since the beginning, from filing friend-of-the-court briefs in five cases challenging the ban to <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/americans-united-and-its-allies-file-lawsuit-challenging-president-trump-s?_ga=2.129847044.980543865.1500296184-434892308.1482242128">filing</a> our own lawsuit, <em>Universal Muslim Association of America v. Trump</em>, which outlines how the ban harms the American Muslim community.</p>
<p>We’ve shown the courts that Trump’s executive order is the Muslim ban that he repeatedly promised from the campaign trail. It is unconstitutional and un-American because it singles out Muslims for discrimination based solely on their religion.</p>
<p>“The president has made clear that this policy is driven by hostility toward Muslims, and we expect that when the high court hears this case, the justices will come to the same conclusion that multiple federal courts have reached: This ban is unconstitutional,” AU Executive Director Barry W. Lynn, <a href="http://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-applauds-us-supreme-court-order-stopping-trump-s-muslim-ban">said yesterday</a>.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/SupremeCourt_0.jpg" style="width: 800px; height: 533px;" /></p>
<p><em>The U.S. Supreme Court has ended the Trump administration's "grandma ban," but parts of the Muslim ban are in effect.</em></p>
<p>To recap what’s happened with the Muslim ban in the last few weeks: On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/what-s-next-for-trump-s-muslim-ban">agreed to hear arguments</a> in two Muslim ban cases, <em>Trump v.</em> <em>International Refugee Assistance Project </em>and <em>Trump v.</em> <em>State of Hawaiʻi</em>. AU has filed legal briefs in both cases.</p>
<p>The high court won’t hear those arguments until Oct. 10. In the interim, the justices said that the ban – which had been halted by federal courts across the country – <a href="http://au.org/files/SCOTUS%20Opinion%20Muslim%20Ban%206.26.17.pdf">could take effect</a>, but only against those who lack “a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” One type of “bona fide relationship” that would qualify, said the court, was “a close familial relationship.”</p>
<p>A few days later, as the ban was about to go into effect, the Trump administration <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/trump-still-trying-to-ban-as-many-muslims-as-possible">issued guidance</a> regarding which familial relationships it considered “close”: parents, children and parents-in-law could enter the country, but grandparents and grandchildren, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, brothers- and sisters-in-law, and cousins would be excluded.</p>
<p>To assert that grandparents and these other relatives were not closely related was ludicrous and cruel, and the plaintiffs in the <em>Hawaiʻi</em> case asked the courts to intervene.</p>
<p>Last week, Judge Derrick K. Watson in Honolulu – the district judge who originally blocked the second Muslim ban from taking effect in March – <a href="http://au.org/files/Hawaii-Ruling-Bona-Fide%207.13.17.pdf">ruled</a> that extended family members and refugees already working with resettlement agencies had “bona fide” relationships and thus couldn’t be blocked by Trump’s Muslim ban.</p>
<p>“Common sense, for instance, dictates that close family members be defined to include grandparents,” Watson wrote. “Indeed, grandparents are the <em>epitome</em> of close family members. The Government’s definition excludes them. That simply cannot be.”</p>
<p>And of the refugees, Watson wrote: “An assurance from a United States refugee resettlement agency, in fact, meets each of the Supreme Court’s touchstones: it is formal, it is a documented contract, it is binding, it triggers responsibilities and obligations, including compensation, it is issued specific to an individual refugee only when that refugee has been approved for entry by the Department of Homeland Security, and it is issued in the ordinary course, and historically has been for decades.” He added, “Bona fide does not get any more bona fide than that.”</p>
<p>Then yesterday, in what <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/us/politics/trump-travel-ban-supreme-court.html?_r=0"><em>The New York Times</em></a> described as a “terse” three-sentence order, the Supreme Court rejected the government’s attempt to undo Watson’s ruling, but put a hold on his decision on refugees. That issue will be heard next by the 9th Circuit.</p>
<p>Americans United will continue to fight against the efforts of the Trump administration to pursue hateful policies against Muslims and others. In fact, today <a href="http://au.org/media/press-releases/advocates-urge-trump-administration-to-provide-information-regarding-extreme">we joined</a> our allies Muslim Advocates, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Brennan Center for Justice and Penn State Law Professor Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia in sending the administration a<a> </a><a href="http://au.org/files/Muslim%20Ban%20FOIA%20Letter%20on%20Extreme%20Vetting%207.20.17.pdf">Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request</a> about the “extreme vetting” policy included in the Muslim ban executive order. We want the public to know whether Trump is using this “extreme vetting” as a way of implementing the Muslim ban and making it permanent, away from the scrutiny of the press, courts and American public.</p>
<p>Read more about our efforts to fight the Muslim ban <a href="http://au.org/content/au-fights-trumps-muslim-ban-in-court">here</a>.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Institutional Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (Including Immigration, Military, Prisons &amp; Healthcare)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/muslim-ban">Muslim Ban</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/grandma-ban">Grandma Ban</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-supreme-court-0">U.S. Supreme Court</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-j-trump">Donald J. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/universal-muslim-association-of-america-v-trump">Universal Muslim Association of America v. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/trump-v-international-refugee-assistance-project-and-trump-v-state-of-hawai-i">Trump v. International Refugee Assistance Project and Trump v. State of Hawaiʻi</a></span></div></div>Thu, 20 Jul 2017 16:13:48 +0000Liz Hayes13097 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-us-supreme-court-has-rejected-trump-s-cruel-grandma-ban-but-refugees#commentsAmericans United Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Order Stopping Trump’s Muslim Ban From Barring Grandparents, Extended Familieshttps://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-applauds-us-supreme-court-order-stopping-trump-s-muslim-ban
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Americans United for Separation of Church and State welcomes today’s U.S. Supreme Court order rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to bar grandparents and other extended family members through its Muslim ban executive order.</p>
<p>“While we’re pleased that more families will be able to reunite, President Trump’s unconstitutional Muslim ban continues to single out Muslims for discrimination because of their religious beliefs,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “The president has made clear that this policy is driven by hostility toward Muslims, and we expect that when the high court hears this case, the justices will come to the same conclusion that multiple federal courts have reached: This ban is unconstitutional.</p>
<p>“It’s clear that the Trump administration treated grandparents as not having a close relationship to their grandchildren simply to bar more Muslims from entering the United States,” Lynn continued. “We are glad that the Supreme Court, like most Americans, saw through this cruel policy.”</p>
<p>Americans United had filed friend-of-the-court briefs with the federal appeals courts in <em>International Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump</em> and <em>State of Hawaiʻi v. Trump</em>.</p>
<p>Americans United also represents the plaintiffs in <em>Universal Muslim Association of America v. Trump</em>, a lawsuit AU filed with its allies Muslim Advocates, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the law firm Arnold &amp; Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. <em>UMAA v. Trump</em> focuses on how the ban harms the American Muslim community. More information on AU’s efforts to fight the Muslim ban is available <a href="http://au.org/content/au-fights-trumps-muslim-ban-in-court">here</a>.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Institutional Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (Including Immigration, Military, Prisons &amp; Healthcare)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/muslim-ban">Muslim Ban</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-j-trump">Donald J. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/international-refugee-assistance-project-v-trump">International Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/state-of-hawai-i-v-trump">State of Hawaiʻi v. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/universal-muslim-association-of-america-v-trump">Universal Muslim Association of America v. Trump</a></span></div></div>Wed, 19 Jul 2017 21:10:29 +0000Liz Hayes13096 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-applauds-us-supreme-court-order-stopping-trump-s-muslim-ban#commentsThe Trump Administration Had A Busy Week of Cozying Up To Religious Right Leadershttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-trump-administration-had-a-busy-week-of-cozying-up-to-religious-right
<a href="/about/people/ms-dena-sher">Dena Sher</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>President Donald J. Trump had quite a week as more scandals involving Russia, his family and his campaign unfolded. But that didn’t stop him from finding time to talk to Religious Right leaders and do a news interview with Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network. All the while, his administration and friends in Congress were taking steps to implement the campaign promises he made to allow churches to endorse candidates and to allow religious freedom laws to be used to discriminate.</p>
<p>You can see this playing out on multiple fronts right now and AU has been helping to resist all of them.</p>
<p>On Monday, <a href="http://religionnews.com/2017/07/12/evangelical-supporters-meet-with-pray-for-trump/">Religious Right leaders</a> were called to White House for an all-day “listening session” with White House officials to talk about topics ranging from health care and judicial nominees to foreign policy and, of course, religious liberty. They also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/07/12/photo-surfaces-of-evangelical-pastors-laying-hands-on-trump-in-the-oval-office/?utm_term=.aac605a72bb2">joined Trump</a> in the Oval Office for a meeting and prayed with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. It was clearly more than a photo opportunity: One of the people in the room <a href="http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2017/july/faith-leaders-enjoy-open-door-at-white-house">explained</a> that the Religious Right has a “substantive relationship” with the Trump administration and that they have an “open door” to the White House.</p>
<p>Later in the week, Trump sat down for an interview with Robertson. Trump <a href="http://religionnews.com/2017/07/13/trump-talks-putin-repeal-and-replace-in-interview-with-pat-robertson/">praised</a> Robertson: “You have a tremendous audience. You have people that I love – evangelicals.” By which he probably means the <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/09/how-the-faithful-voted-a-preliminary-2016-analysis/">80% of white evangelicals</a> who voted for him. Then Trump touted how he’s “helping” this part of his base: by getting rid of the Johnson Amendment. He says it would allow Religious Right leaders to become more politically involved, which he declared would be a “great thing for Christianity” (even though, of course, they don’t actually represent most Christians).</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Trump’s allies in Congress were working to cripple enforcement of the Johnson Amendment – effectively giving houses of worship a pass to violate the law. A House committee had the chance to keep the Johnson Amendment’s protections in place, and although it had bipartisan support, <u><a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/legislation-and-executive-orders">they voted it down</a></u>. Now, the entire House of Representatives will consider the bill with that troubling provision to severely weaken the Johnson Amendment.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/Laid_Hands_Trump.png" style="width: 800px; height: 1090px;" /></p>
<p><em>Johnnie Moore, a former Liberty University executive, tweeted this photo of evangelical faith leaders praying with Trump and Pence in the White House.</em></p>
<p>But repealing the Johnson Amendment is really only on the wishlist of a few Religious Right leaders who want political power. The law is widely supported by <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/568e979c40667a5cc6a4eaf1/t/590cf1c4893fc0f07b5f1b4d/1494020548869/Faith%2BOrganization%2BLetter%2BOpposing%2BPoliticization%2Bof%2BHOW-%2BFINAL.pdf">religious and denomination organizations</a>, <a href="https://www.faith-voices.org/">faith leaders</a> and <a href="https://www.givevoice.org/letter-signers-by-state">other non-profits</a>, as well as the <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/polls">vast majority of Americans</a>. That is because it protects the right of houses of worship to speak out about political and social issues while, at the same time, ensuring they are not pressured by political candidates and campaigns to take a side in divisive partisan elections.</p>
<p>Also last week, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke to a conference held by Alliance Defending Freedom. This legal group is our frequent foe. It’s at the helm of many of the cases brought by businesses that want to use religion as an excuse to discriminate against customers, including <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/a-colo-case-gives-the-supreme-court-an-opportunity-to-say-that-businesses"><em>Masterpiece Cakeshop</em></a>, which will be heard by the Supreme Court in the fall, and <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/washington-supreme-court-says-there-s-no-constitutional-right-to"><em>Arlene’s Flowers</em></a>, which ADF asked the Supreme Court to review on Friday. And it’s defending the truly harmful Mississippi law known as <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/au-supports-mississippians-challenging-discriminatory-hb-1523-a-so-called">HB 1523</a> that allows religion to be used as a reason to treat some Mississippians as second-class citizens.</p>
<p>In his <a href="http://thefederalist.com/2017/07/13/heres-the-speech-jeff-sessions-delivered-to-christian-first-amendment-lawyers/">speech</a>, Sessions announced something ADF and others on the Religious Right have been eagerly awaiting: He will soon issue guidance on federal religious freedom protections. But we know what that really means: religious freedom laws will be used as an excuse to deny the rights of other people – LGBTQ people and women, but also against religious minorities, nontheists and almost anyone else. Our laws, though, should be a shield to protect religious freedom and not a sword to harm others in this way.</p>
<p>This all happened in just one week. Bottom line: There is a serious threat to religious freedom. AU is gearing up for the long haul because there is a lot at stake.</p>
<p>We need everyone on board for the battles ahead. Please sign up for our <a href="http://au.org/get-involved/updates">emails</a> to take action, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/americansunited">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/americansunited/">Facebook</a>. And consider <a href="https://secure.everyaction.com/V7FtpsrviU2WH4XyuHJjDg2">donating</a> to support our work.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/responding-common-attacks-church-state-separation">Responding to Common Attacks on Church-State Separation</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/donald-j-trump">Donald J. Trump</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pat-robertson">Pat Robertson</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mike-pence">Mike Pence</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/johnson-amendment">Johnson Amendment</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/project-fair-play">Project Fair Play</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-congress">U.S. Congress</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/financial-services-and-general-government-fsgg-appropriations-bill">Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations bill</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/alliance-defending-freedom">Alliance Defending Freedom</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/masterpiece-cakeshop-v-colorado-civil-rights-commission">Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/state-of-washington-v-arlene-s-flowers">State of Washington v. Arlene’s Flowers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mississippi">Mississippi</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/hb1523">HB1523</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jeff-sessions">Jeff Sessions</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/lgbtq-rights">LGBTQ Rights</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/womens-rights">women&#039;s rights</a></span></div></div>Mon, 17 Jul 2017 16:03:23 +0000Liz Hayes13092 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-trump-administration-had-a-busy-week-of-cozying-up-to-religious-right#comments